United States of Being

With his Saddle Creek debut EP, 2011's Nasty, Brutish, and Short, Pujol sang of the king of May, but with first-time full-length United States of Being, he posits himself as Nashville's rugged philosopher prince. Where the EP showed off Daniel Pujol's knack for wildly fun, relentlessly catchy songwriting, here he reveals new dimensions: the literate coming of age musings of Craig Finn (the Hold Steady); wry social observations of Ian Svenonius (Nation of Ulysses, the Make-Up, Chain & the Gang); and celebratory, feel-good vibes of Andrew W.K., bringing it all back home with his whiskey-soaked vocals and rollicking modern garage rock/power pop soundtrack. As if speaking on behalf of Generation Y, Pujol takes to task institutions that have contributed to political corruption, financial ruin, and diminished quality of life in general in these United States, which would risk alienating listeners if it wasn't such a dang enjoyable listen. Check out "DIY2K," with its cell phone vibration intro and references to library Starbucks cafes, and "post-industrial malaise," where Pujol explains he's "not disenchanted, but feeling stuck" and pleads (well, snarls), "America, you know better/I know we can get it together," infused with Replacements-esque guitar wail. Conversely, on the midtempo rocking "Providence" he looks backward and across the pond, namechecking moments in European history and comparing church and state to pirates ("To live beyond your means/But beneath your being"), while with the Southern-tinged "Reverse Vampire" he uses the bloodsucker as a metaphor for the search toward a meaningful life and, ultimately, some kind of immortality ("I want to release the heat that's building in my chest/And blast it like a laser beam forever and endless"). Showing other facets of the Generation Y experience, United States of Being also touches on chivalry ("Keeper of Atlantis"), consumerism ("Made of Money"), and romance ("Niceness," "Dark Knight in Shining Armor"), but Pujol really shines when he pulls out his protest signs and shares his shrewd, but never cynical, take on modern society. As the inhabitants of Generation Y face the harsh truths associated with post-high school life, plus the economic and political challenges specific to the 2010s, Pujol acts as their guide with United States of Being, acknowledging that times are tough but refusing to let those obstacles stand in the way of achieving one's destiny. ~ Chrysta Cherrie